Bottoms Up Beer and D' Road Cafe

Unlike some Gumpers, I did not give up adult beverages for Lent. As a pooch with opposable dew claws, if I were so inclined I would have to give up something more canine appropriate such as sniffing butts or eating yummy pressed chicken jerky. So in the unexplained absence of Allpots I am filling in with a couple of reviews that may be of interest to those of you who occasionally venture outside of the Gump.

Fresh Venezuelan/Italian Fare

First, I want to give a shout out to D' Road Cafe which is located in the same strip center as Mr. G's Italian and Greek Restaurant (see our prior review here). It's run by a nice Venezuelan couple who emigrated to the U.S. to live the American Dream of owning their own business. Janet, I believe her name is, runs the kitchen and sets the menu. They provide a traditional meat and three steam table for lunch that always has something special influenced by their home country which, I have learned, is highly influenced by Italian cuisine. Why that is I do not know, but Janet told me it was true so I believe it.

The "Pepito": It's a Dandy.

Our friends on Facebook mentioned the place some time ago and the descriptions of the Pepito Sandwich drew me like a puppy to a chew toy. This steak sandwich is served on homemade bread and served with fresh spices, onions and green stuff. Its a real treat that travels well on the to-go. You might want to call ahead to make sure they have not exhausted their fresh buns before you get there. When you pick up your Pepito, ask Janet why they named the place D'Road Cafe.

Notice the petite fan in the plaid kilts.

My other contribution involves an invention I was told was dreamed up by two Colgate or Cornell college students and, as you would suspect, involves the efficient delivery of beer. While visiting my cousins Beau and Maui--two Westies who rule Cen-Flo--I happened to find myself at a Phillies Spring Training Game in Clearwater, FL being played on St. Patty's day. I learned two things: (1) Phillies fans take St. Patty's day very seriously and (2) they serve beer there in cups that fill from the bottom and do not leak (except when a drunken fan sticks his finger in the bottom to see how it seals). Hard to describe how it works but I did take a video that is posted up on YouTube with some of my favorite videos of me playing and doing my tricks. The link to the video is here. We've got to get one of these in the Gump soon, I say. It would be very cool if they could get them at Riverwalk before the Biscuits opener April 15. No spills no foam.

The best thing since adding wheels to luggage....

And, if anyone sees Allpots hiding from the crowds but eying their adult beverages, give him a message from me: Come April 9th we will welcome you back with open forepaws.

Lunch in West Shorter: Wishbone Cafe. Like sands through the hourglass...

LITG is running behind on this week's review because we had a two-hour lunch on Monday, so let us sum up: Wishbone Cafe - inventive Louisiana-style food, better than Wintzell's, as good as Lunde's, creative use of a former Quizno's, some of the best soup we've had... and too slow.

BamaBing! says:
Here is when slow is good: Slow is good when you're having lunch on a Friday in New Orleans with your lady and a crew of good pals, all at a downstairs table at Galatoire's and nobody really has to be anywhere anytime soon, and the group is seriously considering dinner at Galatoire's and then maybe a nice nap back at the hotel before things really get going. Slow is good on a day like that.

But slow is not good if you're having Lunch in the Gump and you've got a table at the Wishbone Cafe and you're with good friends who are way, way outside the friendly confines of the bypass and seriously in danger of losing their menial jobs and/or getting violated back to County by their PO's.

OK. Now that I have sufficiently chastised the Wishbone proprietors for their, uh, deliberate service, it's time to lavish some praise. This unassuming little joint at the end of a strip center way east on Atlanta Highway (emphasis on Atlanta) gets high praise for the funky New Orleans/Cajun/Creole eats. Nothing subtle about the food here. They know where the cayenne pepper is and they know how to use it. It's worth the wait and the couple of extra bucks, and the half-tank of gas.

Binion says - A Tale of Two EateriesIt was the best of luncheon experiences and it was the longest of times. When you pull apart the Wishbone Cafe, someone always gets the short end. Those coupon-clipping Martini-sipping members of the upper crust in no hurry to return to where they pretend to work found the two-hour portal-to-portal-to-portal trip from Dexter Avenue to the Wishbone and back "charming" and "quaint." It is a great place for those who live or work within walking distance and have not a care in the world. However, those with deadlines or a parole officer to report to were, after an hour of enjoying the former Quizno's ambiance, about to jump out of their skins hungry and worried they would be late back to the real Gump.

It also was a better experience for those who had just collected from their local "man" after hitting a three-team teaser. Yes, the Cuban sandwich with honey glaze was different and the soup with the du jour sauce was outstanding. But $16 with tea is pretty steep for Lunch in the Gump not counting the four gallons of gas you burn driving out past AUM from Gumptown.

But, again, the basic problem is the passage of valuable time. On the way back at 1:30 p.m. The Younger and I were remembering "The Chef" in Apocalypse Now who got off his swift boat to fetch some mangoes and got chased by a real tiger: "Never get out of the boat. Never get out of the [freaking] boat!" he ranted when he barely made it back. We said to each other as we raced back to various overripe problems: "Never go outside the by-pass, never go outside the by-pass!" We have learned our lesson.

Tojo Yamamoto responds...Binion too impatient. Need to slow down like Tojo, enjoy Lunch in Gump. Enjoy slow little cajun creole hole in wall. Parole officer too busy with drug dealers and prostitutes, not concerned with white-collar recidivist criminal like Binion. Tojo filled with wonder! Cajun treats cooking in Quiznos conveyor belt roaster oven left behind by former tenant! Quiznos people go broke using conveyor belt roaster oven to make fast sandwich. Wishbone people say "Aha! Why not use Quiznos conveyor belt roaster oven to make shrimp po-boy real slow?" Tojo like zen approach. Tojo like Harry Connick music. Tojo gladly pay $20 for lunch at Wishbone.

Festively colored dish (Mardi Gras colors?)


NoGritsNoGlory says: Worth the Trip to West Shorter

As a newboy in the Lambda Gammas, I learned two valuable life lessons:


1. Don't take an antsy group of Gumpers to a place that takes longer to get your order in than Longshore takes to play the back nine--especially if it's the first meal since CDT became CST, and the old tummy didn't get the memo.

2. Never get up from the table to take a call--especially if Tojo is within surprise striking distance of your shrimp and pasta.

That said, I am forming a committee (the Make a Wishbone Foundation) to get this incredibly tasty Creole/Cajun/Quiznos eatery to relocate Gumpcenter in the Alleyway. Then Binion can just walk half a block, take half a Ritalin and enjoy the quizine du jour. Remember, an orchid isn't grown overnight.

Editor's note: NGNG is a man of few words.The name of this dish was "Shrimp & Pasta," which seemed like a very simple name for a dish in a place with the "Louis Armstrong" and the "Jeffrey Darter" with a ton of healthy-sized fresh shrimp with andouille sausage and a cream sauce big on "cajuny" spices, garlic and other good stuff. Oh, and pasta. NGNG was good enough to share this fine dish with the other gumpers, which was probably a mistake, because when NGNG very politiely excused himself and walked outside to take a phone call from some fatcat, the remaining gumpers had their way with the remaining shrimp.

BamaBing! adds:Fat Clemenza and I both ordered a dish called the Jeffrey Darter, which was basically sauteed hash-browns (shredded a la Waffle House - excellent!) topped with a spicy sauce topped by a very nicely-spiced grilled chicken breast, topped by some sort of prosciutto or something like that topped with some kind of cheese, served with red beans & rice and bread. It was, as Clemenza said, "over the top." I Googled Jeffrey Darter, expecting that I'd find a famous jazz trombonist or some pirate that haunts the Quarter to this day, but no such luck. When you Google "Jeffrey Darter" all you find is this guy:

Jeffrey Darter

Northwestern Mutual Financial Consultant

Grand Rapids, Michigan

www.jeffreydarter.com

The Soup:

On arrival each Gumper was presented with a sample of the Soup du jour, which was simply outstanding. We asked what kind of soup it was and our oft-missing server hadn't the foggiest idea. In any event, 7 out of 8 gumpers ordered the soup, whatever it was. Here's what it looked like, if anybody can identify this soup:

Soup of the Year

Shadow Pup Pipes In:
1. Bring a New York Times with you to read while you wait.
2. Do not come with a big group of amateur food critics. The conveyor oven is designed to make one order at a time. A group of six throws off the assembly line.
3. Du jour is not a sauce, Binion.
4. Bing, when you write a review--give the address.
5. Wish the Wishbone was downtown.
6. Chase Utley has hit four homey's in the Series! Go Phillies!!!